Cranberry Jalapeño Nantucket Pie with a piece taken out

Change is scary. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I think most people feel this way. It’s the unknown, the something new, the pushing outside our comfort zone, the giving up of the familiar, the possibility of failure that we don’t like.

I see this around me constantly. With myself, with my family and friends, with my co-workers, with my clients. I have become hyper aware of how scary change is for people. Even if this isn’t a conscious thought.

Left side photo is cranberries in a pie plate, right side photo is after the pecans and jalapeno are added to the plate

But change is so incredibly necessary in life. It moves us forward, makes us grow, brings us happiness. And I guess anything that holds that much weight can be scary. Otherwise, it wouldn’t feel worth it.

This may sound silly, but when I first started to try my hand at making gluten free and vegan baked goods I was terrified. I so much wanted to become great at it. But I knew failure wasn’t just a possibility, it was an absolutely. I knew I wasn’t going to just jump right in there and be great. I would have a huge learning process to go through.

A slice of Cranberry Jalapeño Nantucket Pie on a plate with a fork

I cannot even tell you how many times I have been frustrated in my kitchen. Wanted to kick it all to the curb and stick solely to traditional baked goods. Said “to hell with it!” But I didn’t. I took breaks sometimes. I read a lot. I experimented a lot. I STILL experiment a lot. And I am proud to say I am a better, more educated, more confident, happier baker because of it all.

This “pie” was a completely new adventure for me. I have never made a “nantucket pie” or any kind of pie with cranberries before. I also took a leap and adapted the recipe heavily to make it vegan and gluten free, and I also threw in some jalapeno’s to give it a little kick! Check back tomorrow for that Maple Cream Cheese Whipped Cream you see sitting on top of that heavenly piece of pie. I am pretty darn proud of these two recipes!

A slice of Cranberry Jalapeño Nantucket Pie with cream on top

A slice of Cranberry Jalapeño Nantucket Pie on a plate with a fork

Vegan Cranberry Jalapeño Nantucket Pie

Ingredients

  • Earth Balance vegan butter
  • 2 heaping cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 jalapenos, deveined and minced
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup Earth Balance vegan butter, melted
  • 1 TBSP Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 1/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 TBSP cornstarch or arrowroot
  • ALTERNATIVELY 1 cup all-purpose flour can be substituted for rice flour and cornstarch.
  • 1 tsp almond extract (or vanilla if preferred)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Grease a pie plate or 9 inch cake pan with butter.
  3. Spread cranberries, jalapeno, and pecans evenly in the pan.
  4. Sprinkle the 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon over the cranberry, jalapeno, pecan mixture.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, egg replacer, and brown sugar.
  6. Stir in the rice flour, cornstarch and almond extract.
  7. The mixture should be thin enough to pour. If it is not, mix in water 1 TBSP at a time until it is just thin enough to pour.
  8. Pour the batter over the cranberry, jalapeno, pecan mixture.
  9. Gently spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
  10. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until the batter is set and cooked through.
  11. Serve warm.

Nutrition Information:


Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0